I’ve quoted him before but it is appropriate to do so again. Historian Arnold Toynbee once said something to the effect that great countries and empires are not defeated, they commit suicide. The authors of the book I am John Galt tell us that Alan Greenspan, former chairman of the Federal Reserve, essentially believes that is exactly what the United States is doing. We are over the cliff.

The following quote was written before November’s election. “Coming out the Great Recession, (Greenspan) sees the United States having crossed a fateful threshold, a point of no return, at which we’ve taken on too great a government debt and...made too great a commitment to government control of the economy. (Greenspan said) that we won’t recognize America 20 years from now, and that we won’t like what we see.” This past November, America voted to reaffirm and accelerate our country’s suicide.

Republican leadership was quick to find fault with its own positions and blame symptoms rather the actual reason for the defeat in November. Symptoms such as immigration, taxation, birth control, abortion, and so on.

Republicans completely failed to pinpoint the reason for our country’s problems. The cause is basic and simple. It is liberalism led by, as Tom Sowell calls him, the “warped” man in the White House. Failure to drive a stake through the heart of this loser collectivist ideology is the reason Republicans continue to lose.

Over the years I’ve gotten to know people who are or were near the summit of their professions, in the Catholic Church, the military, the state department, and our business sector. Without fail they were and are extremely worried about another Obama term. What they told me is not comforting.

Very senior military officers believe Obama is a disaster. In part it is because of a philosophy that doesn’t hold that America should be as strong as it is in comparison to other nations. In addition, they recognize that out of control spending makes the prospect of keeping and maintaining a powerful military totally impossible. Mark Steyn points out that “within this decade, the interest payments on the debt will be covering the entire cost of the Chinese military. America can fund the Pentagon or the People’s Liberation Army, but not both, not for long.”

There will be severe consequences ultimately. If you think that this coming century will be less bloody than the 20th century without our strength and leadership, you are badly mistaken.

My senior friends in the Catholic Church are also deeply worried. Our constitution guarantees freedom of religion, but this administration has so twisted that definition that it is now virtually meaningless. With the specious requirement for the Catholic Church and other denominations to provide services for practices for which these institution do not approve is nothing less than tyranny. Freedom to practice religion according to our beliefs? Gone.

Very successful businessman don’t see much future for a strong economy either. That too goes back to the insane level of government spending that hugely reduces opportunity for a strong and growing economy. That is further minimized by increasingly onerous regulations. There is more of course, like corrupt crony capitalism (fascism) which shuts down competition as businesses compete for government largess.

But the “unofficial” opinions that surprised me most were those of very high ranking state department officials who have had extensive experience in Afghanistan plus the Middle East.

They have given up on the Muslim world, believing there is no hope. There are moderate and liberal Muslims but the religion itself is not moderate. Witness the persecution of and exodus of Christians in the Muslim world.

Moreover, the law of sharia, whether it arrives through violence or through other means, is a freedom destroying totalitarian system. If you do not understand its basis and what it means to a society you ought to spend a few almost guaranteed to be unpleasant weeks in Saudi Arabia, as I have, or to Iran.

The Muslim world itself is being overrun and smothered with brutal and intolerant movements terrorizing to establish sharia. There are many ways to illustrate its hatred and extremism but nothing illustrates it better than viciously inhuman Taliban throwing acid into the faces of little girls who go to school to learn. One friend was so frustrated by the fighting and intolerance in Afghanistan that he told me that we should have killed all of the Taliban. I never expected to hear anything like that from this kind and gentle person.

There is now nothing we can or should do to try bring the Muslim world into the 21st century. It is not an Arab or Muslim winter they have entered but an ice age. Our “not official” state department position sees only one reasonable way forward. Get out of that Muslim world and the Middle East completely. Isolate them and leave them alone. That includes not allowing a single additional Muslim, as one recommended, to come into America. Too dangerous, he thinks.

But our ability to leave the Muslim world is contingent on the west being completely energy independent. We must pursue that posthaste. With this administration however, energy independence is a pipe dream.

If you voted for Obama believing that things will be better over the next four years, you are completely daft. I suppose there are some who might be offended by the word “daft.” Let me be a little more precise. If you are an Obama voter who believes America will be better off in four years, you have a screw loose. And probably more than one.

The overall result of the November vote is a hugely weakened America, a more tyrannical government, and a far more dangerous world. Plus a lowered standard of living and poorer healthcare. And it won’t be George Bush’s fault. Do you think I am wrong? As time goes by I will unhappily document why I am not.

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737

9:42:28, Feb 4th 2013

Paul says:

I just finished reading Stan Gudmundson's article entitled "Over the Cliff" in which he insults the president, the majority of the voters in the last election, the Muslims of the world, anyone who considers a liberal grace-filled approach to life as appropriate and everyone else who does not adhere to his personal beliefs. My first response was anger but was soon replaced by sadness and pity for Mr. Gudmundson. His obvious hatred and disgust for those who do not feel the way he does put him in dangers of becoming like the far right radical terrorists he rants about and shows that he has lost hope in our country. As a person who loves this country, has a great respect for those who serve and have served this country and believes it is the diversity of the people who continue to make this country great it hurts to be considered daft and to have a screw loose by a man who has never even met me. 1 Peter 3: 8-11 says, "Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it."
This is good advice that I hope Mr Gudmundson can come to understand so that maybe he can help to incite peace instead of anger.
Paul

744

12:05:12, Feb 5th 2013

sem says:

The country's problems are not due to liberalism. The Colonel should address the real problem in this country: CONGRESS, and particularly, the House and the extreme wing of his party. They are the real reason this country is regressing, not moving forward and in the mess it is. His attitude and attacks are the reason his party have lost five of the last six elections, and why this country is so polarized. Get over it, Colonel.